The Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN) is an alliance driven by the vision of a world without malnutrition. GAIN mobilizes public-private partnerships and provides financial and technical support to deliver healthier foods and supplements to those people most at risk of malnutrition. Our innovative partnership projects in more than 25 countries are improving the lives of nearly 200 million people. Our project portfolio is growing and our goal is to reach one billion people. Malnutrition affects over two billion people worldwide, and it can only be reduced if the public and private sectors effectively combine their respective skills and resources.

Fortifying the World One Meal at a Time

GAIN was founded in 2002 in response to global nutritional issues identified by the United Nations General Assembly Special Session on Children. The early goals included fortifying staple foods with essential vitamins and minerals, such as iron, folic acid, vitamin A and zinc. Deficiencies of these essential nutrients contribute to deaths among women and young children from otherwise preventable diseases and conditions. Vitamin deficiencies also impair cognitive development and growth, which leads to reduced educational achievements, productivity and economic growth—thus contributing to the cycle of undernourishment and poverty.

As of early 2009, results from GAIN’s fortification efforts include the following:

• Nearly 200 million people reached with fortified foods in more than 25 countries. In China, data collected from 21 health clinics showed that anemia dropped by approximately one third following the fortification of soy sauce with iron. More than 62.8 million people have access to the iron fortified soy sauce.
• In South Africa, GAIN supported national effort to fortify wheat flour and maize meal with folic acid resulted in a 41 percent drop in spina bifida cases.
• A global micronutrient premix procurement fund designed to reduce the cost of vitamin and mineral fortification premix, and improve the supply chain has been established.
• In conjunction with UNICEF, a Universal Salt Iodization program is in place aimed at raising access to and use of iodized salt to 85 percent of households world-wide.

Making Nutrition More Cost Effective

Fortification efforts cost an average of 30 cents per person, though these costs are expected to be cut in half as GAIN works to find more cost-effective ways to address vitamin and mineral deficiencies among vulnerable populations worldwide. Notable projects GAIN has supported include the following:

• Integrating nutrition into HIV/AIDS treatment in India. In Tamil Nadu, India, the World Food Programme and the Tamil Nadu State AIDS Control Society are working to integrate nutrition into ongoing patient care, support, and treatment efforts for people living with HIV/AIDS. With support from GAIN, the organizations have been able to provide nutrient-dense meals to more than 13,000 patients.
• Providing fortified cooking oil and wheat flour in Côte d’Ivoire. An estimated 31.3 percent of preschool children in Côte d’Ivoire are vitamin A deficient, while 20 percent have an iron deficiency. Using financial support from GAIN and others, Helen Keller International, the National Micronutrient Deficiency Control Program, and private sector partners have introduced cooking oil fortified with vitamin A and wheat flour fortified with iron and folic acid.
• Developing innovative methods to fortify home-cooked meals for children in Bangladesh. GAIN is working with Renata Limited, the Bangladesh Rural Advisory Committee and the Sprinkles Global Health Initiative to build and operate a manufacturing, delivery and support program around Sprinkles. Sprinkles is now universally accepted by the international nutrition community as a leading and effective response to vitamin and mineral deficiencies among infants and young children in all economic classes in developing countries. One million sachets are sold each month. In its first three years, the project aims to reach 6.8 million children, improve the vitamin and mineral status of the target population by 20 percent.

Working Toward the Goal of 1 Billion Lives Fortified

GAIN has already aided millions worldwide through its innovative partnership model. However, the organization is still working toward its goal of reaching 1 billion people affected by malnutrition by 2015. GAIN is continuing to reach out through financial and technical support and advocacy. Large-scale projects in Kazakhstan and Bangladesh were launched in 2008 and another program is scheduled to launch in Nigeria in 2009. A new effort to improve infant feeding practices and the availability and use of low-cost complementary foods was launched in 2009 in several developing countries.